14 Freestyle Skiers Nominated

Published 7:00 pm, Monday, January 21, 2002

Eric Bergoust, who clinched his second straight World Cup aerials title this past weekend, and moguls gold medalist Jonny Moseley will get to defend their Olympic titles next month.

Bergoust and Moseley were among the 14 freestyle skiers nominated for the Olympic Games on Tuesday.

The team, which still must be approved by the U.S. Olympic Committee, was announced after a day of meetings and final deliberations by coaches.

It has seven men and seven women and includes eight moguls skiers and six aerialists, according to coach Jeff Wintersteen. Each nation may ski up to four athletes in each event.

Five athletes have competed in previous Olympics, including two-time World Cup champion Ann Battelle of Steamboat Springs, Colo. The 1999 World Championship gold medalist becomes the first U.S. freestyle skier nominated for four Olympics.

Bergoust, 32, of Missoula, Mont., collected the 15th win of his career and his third this season Friday at the Gateway Freestyle Classic in Lake Placid. Moseley, 26, took off for two seasons after his dramatic victory in Japan in 1998. He had been struggling until winning a World Cup contest Jan. 12 in France to clinch his spot.